The Brain Book: Development, Function, Disorder, Health

The brain (and mental health) is the most important medical issue of our time. Just two handfuls in size and made of billions of nerve and ganglial cells, the living brain controls our thoughts, movements, behavior and emotions. It is the seat of our consciousness, yet scientists are still discovering how the living brain actually works. The Brain Book combines the latest image technology with easy-to-understand authoritative text. Written by an international team of medical experts on brain science, it covers all aspects of brain function, from development and disorders, to the nature of consciousness, through to the aging brain and brain diseases. Topics include brain chemistry, memory, the teenage brain, illusions and hallucinations, music and the brain, sleep and wakefulness, anesthetics, degenerative brain disease and much more. The book is organized into nine sections: Structure and Function Development The Senses Movement and Actions The Social Brain Mind, Consciousness, Mood and Psychosis Brain Plasticity, Injury and Repair Drugs and the Brain Aging and Disease The Brain Book is a complete guide to the amazingly complex and intriguing structure that is the human brain. It is an essential reference for any library.

About the Author :
Ken Ashwell, BMedSc, MB, BS, PhD, is Professor of Anatomy in the School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He was also the Chief Consultant for Anatomy Colour-in Flash Cards and The Human Body Identification Manual.

Review :
"As the title implies, this ambitious volume packs in information. The scope of The Brain Book is extensive, thoroughly covering topics ranging from normal brain development, anatomy, and chemistry to aging, abnormalities, and disorders... Such scope and detail packed into a single volume make this book most appropriate as a reference or for a more advanced reader. While not on the level of a medical text, the extent and level of material are demanding enough to need the some established science background... Overall, this is an excellent text for the student interested in developing his or her understanding of human anatomy and physiology."--Cate Hibbitt "American Biology Teacher" (11/1/2013 12:00:00 AM) A deluxe hardcover describing all the brain's functions, disorders, and diseases, written by a team of international brain science experts.-- "Publisher's Weekly" (8/13/2012 12:00:00 AM) An informative general introduction, this will well serve the basic science collection.--Gilbert Taylor "Booklist" (12/1/2012 12:00:00 AM) Jaw-dropping images--MRIs, micrographs (photographs taken through a microscope), and detailed graphics--which display the brain like you've never seen, or thought of it, before. But think of it we should.... There's much to learn, and all of it is fascinating.... This volume is so much more than a beautifully illustrated coffee table book, it is both fascinatingly detailed and extraordinarily readable. No reference library, or lover of good books, should be without a copy.--Tracey Tufnail "Vancouver Sun" (3/30/2013 12:00:00 AM) Owning a book on the brain is a no brainer, as the saying goes. It is an essential book for yourself and your family.-- "Shelf Life" (2/1/2013 12:00:00 AM) There is something almost magical about a beautiful, colorful, well-illustrated book... There is hardly a single page without a full color photograph or illustration. The topics covered are wide ranging.... It is definitely a useful special topic book in upper middle school and high school. It would be particularly useful for a teacher who is interested in preparing some background information for elementary or middle level students.... This would make a good classroom or library reference book.... Those outside the education ranks would also benefit from the use of this book to look up items that might be if interest.--Steve Canpipe "National Science Teachers Association Recommends" (2/4/2013 12:00:00 AM) This could have easily been a very dull tome. It isn't.--Randy Midzain "Winnipeg Free Press" (12/1/2012 12:00:00 AM)